BACKLASH

Afghans: ‘To Hell’ With Daily Beast

Ahmad Jamshid/AP,Ahmad Jamshid

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, not pictured, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on March, 4, 2013.

“Disturbing and unprofessional.” “Racist and detached from reality.” These are a few of the harsh words tweeted in response to Leslie H. Gelb’s recent article on The Daily Beast, “To Hell With Karzai.” Gelb criticizes President Hamid Karzai’s reaction to U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s maiden visit to the country, calling Karzai a “clown” who is trying to “score domestic political points” in arguing that Taliban-backed bombings encourage prolonged U.S. and NATO presence in the country. Afghans were quick to slam the story on Twitter, saying it presents an oversimplified view of the country’s ethnic makeup. But the Pashtun Women Viewpoint blog took Gelb’s side, arguing that Karzai often references invalid theories of collaboration between Taliban and NATO forces.